If you want to hire the best employees, you need to speed up your interview process — it’s as simple as that.

That’s because while it takes 43 days for the average company to fill an opening, top talent is only on the market for 10 days, according to HireVue. This makes sense because candidates with the highest talent potential are going to be gobbled up by competitors the longer an organization waits to extend an offer.

In today’s war for talent, companies can no longer afford to take their precious time when it comes to hiring new employees. But how exactly can your company speed up its interview process?

01. Always be on the lookout for candidates

To increase the chances you’re able to hire applicants with the highest talent potential, you need to have a pool of qualified candidates to choose from the day you realize a position is opening up. To this end, always be recruiting. Put language on your website that indicates you are always interested in looking at a candidate’s résumé. Regularly publish blog posts to showcase your thought leadership and attract readers — some of whom may very well become interested in working for you one day. The more you nurture relationships, the more likely you’ll be to have a number of candidates to choose from when it comes time to fill a position.

02. Create an employee referral program

Hiring for culture fit is important. According to our Engagement Report, employees are more motivated by a strong culture than they are by salaries and perks. Whenever a position is opening up, let your employees know right away. Give them an incentive to help you fill it if they know someone who would make a great fit.

03. Use technology to source the best candidates

Instead of reviewing a ton of résumés and applications manually, use applicant tracking systems that enable you to search for specific keywords, thereby drastically reducing the time you need to devote to reading résumés. Recruiters will be able to pick the most qualified candidates easily, which should help your team expedite the interview process.

04. Arrange interviews quickly

Once you’ve identified the best candidates on the market, schedule interviews with them as soon as you possibly can. If a candidate is able to come into your office tomorrow but you’ve got a busy schedule, see whether you can move things around to accommodate that individual sooner. Remember, if you take your time, candidates with the most talent potential will be snatched up by other companies.

05. Make decisions right away

Don’t expect top talent to endure round after round after round of interviews. Instead, you have to assume that the most talented candidates are being courted by other companies simultaneously. Don’t take their availability for granted. While the best candidates might have no problem coming in for a second interview, by the time you call them in for a third round it might be too late. Make decisions quickly, however difficult they may be. Worst case, you’re wrong — which sure beats missing out on top talent just because you’re indecisive.